1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a mobile walking robot equipped with an impact absorber, more particularly to a legged mobile robot equipped with an impact absorber which absorbs impacts arising when the robot collides with pipes or other objects in its working environment, thereby protecting both the robot and the object collided with.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Legged mobile robots, in particular legged mobile robots using biped locomotion, are taught by Japanese Laid-open Patent Publication Nos. 62(1987)-97005 and 63(1988)-150176. A general discussion of robots, including legged mobile robots, can be found in Robotics Handbook, Robotic Society of Japan, Oct. 20, 1990.
Legged mobile robots, particularly those using biped locomotion, are expected to take over an increasing number of tasks previously handled by human beings. Among these are many jobs that require the robot to operate in a working environment including numerous pipes and other structural members. Moreover, many of the jobs envisioned for robots will require them to work in relatively tight quarters. If a robot working in such an environment should lose its balance and fall against a structural member such as a pipe or against a nearby human worker, it would be likely to damage the member or injure the worker. It might also damage and incapacitate the robot itself.